Astrology falls into the category of fortune telling or divination. The core of it is that the movements and alignments of the planets determine how one is to live day to day.
Horoscopes, also call astrological charts (see more information about the types in the sections taken from Wikipedia at the end of this chapter) drawn up by astrologers, tell you what to do and not do. Here now are horoscopes for July the 16th and the 23rd.
First is the horoscope from the Marin County newspaper, the Independent Journal, for the July 16, 2022, for Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 23), no astrologer is named.
Actions speak louder than words. Be mindful of others and do whatever it takes to make a difference. Setting an example for those around you will discourage people from criticizing or complaining.
Then from the San Francisco Chronicle, again for July 16 for Libra (Sept 23-Oct. 23). The astrologer is Georgian Nicols.
The mood of today is completely different, in particular, you want to get better organized and accomplish a lot today. Tonight: Work.
Here now is a second example: for Leo (July 23–August 22) from the Independent Journal, dated July 22, 2022, no astrologer named.
You must go it alone if you want to get things done your way. The path of least resistance will tempt you when you know sticking up for yourself is the better choice. Don’t let others limit you.
The same day, but from the San Francisco Chronical, and the horoscope is by Georgian Nicols, July 22, 2022, and for Leo (July 23–August 22):
Although you are inclined to work alone or behind the scenes now, today you have strong opinions about banking issues and anything that must be divided. Tonight: Take stock.
Neither set of horoscopes bear any resemblance to each other. And they, the four of them, are so vague, they could be interpreted any number of ways and apply to many kinds of people in many kinds of lifestyles and occasions. And this is the draw, this vagueness—it simply blinds a person to thinking that this whole thing might be phony.
You will have to take our word for it, but after reading horoscopes in these two papers that come to our house daily, the same disjointedness is repeated over and again. And the concepts are so vague, that if a person committed to following the horoscopes could find ways to say, okay I am paying attention to this sound counsel, they would be blind to the deception.
Over time, one becomes captive to the daily horoscopes, and a cultic mentality can set in, which is as dangerous as if you joined a Satan-worshiping church.
Two striking facts
The first fact is that astrology developed at a time prior to the discovery of Uranus and Pluto. There are nine planets not seven planets, but astrology is built upon seven planets. This is essentially ignored by astrologers and those who read and follow their daily horoscopes.
Then there is the attempt to say that Jesus Himself endorses astrology. Here is that attempt: (author is unknown)
Christ himself talked about the importance of astrology when he said in Luke 21:25, “There shall be signs in the sun, moon, and stars.” Jesus even discusses with the disciples the importance of astrology and how it can be used as a sign of his return.
The passage appealed to is Luke 21:25-26, which reads:
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of that is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
This statement from Jesus has to do with His second coming at the end of the age, which ushers in the day of Judgment, one single day. And on that very last day of the existence of the universe, even the stars and the moon will be impacted. But it is readily apparent that this is no testimony by Jesus that there is any truth to astrology.
Let us now take a look at a few biblical passages that speak to the issue.
Deuteronomy 18:9–12 “Abominable Practices”:
[9] “When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. [10] There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer [11] or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, [12] for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. (ESV)
Acts 16:16–18 “Paul and Silas in Prison”:
[16] As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. [17] She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” [18] And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. (ESV)
God, who inspired the writing of the above Biblical material, created humans and knows our frailties and tendencies and how prone we are to being captivated by evil. He is warning us to stay away from that which harms us and takes our attention and dependency away from Him.
Final Thoughts
Probably, most people who read their horoscopes do not take particular care to apply it to their daily lives. Perhaps it is nothing more than a custom, something fun and interesting to read but not much more than this.
However, there are those who are committed to it, believe there is some esoteric substance and power behind it, and attempt to apply it to their lives.
But it goes further than this; astrology is a door opener to other more dangerous forms of the occult—everything from Reiki, Ancestor medicine, visiting psychics, channelers, mediums, Tarot card reading, and more. They are then vulnerable to being invaded by demonic spirits. In which case, the only hope is to have these evil, demonic spirits cast out of them. And in our day, it is increasingly difficult to find anyone who does this form of ministry.
Excerpts from Wikipedia
Wikipedia July 23, 2022
Some astrologers write personalized horoscopes using a person’s rising and moon sign, while others use the solar house system to make more general readings (these are what usually comprise newspaper columns).137
How do astrologers predict horoscopes?
Astrologers print horoscopes in newspapers that are personalized by birth date. These horoscopes make predictions in people’s personal lives, describe their personalities, and give them advice; all according to the position of astronomical bodies. Mar 23, 2013
Average Salary
According to the Simply Hired website, astrologists bring home an annual salary of $42,000, as of this publication. Aug 5, 2019
Where do astrologers get their information?
Astrology normally takes its data from a chart. This could be the image of the earth and the encompassing heavenly bodies and planets at a predefined time. Apr 16, 2020
Wikipedia, July 17, 2022
Astrology is a pseudoscience that claims to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the movements and relative positions of celestial objects. Astrology has been practiced since at least the 2nd millennium BCE and has its roots in calendrical systems used to predict seasonal shifts and to interpret celestial cycles as signs of divine communications. Most, if not all, cultures have attached importance to what they observed in the sky, and some—such as the Hindus, Chinese, and the Maya—developed elaborate systems for predicting terrestrial events from celestial observations. Western astrology, one of the oldest astrological systems still in use, can trace its roots to 19th–17th century BCE Mesopotamia, from where it spread to Ancient Greece, Rome, the Arab world and eventually Central and Western Europe. Contemporary Western astrology is often associated with systems of horoscopes that purport to explain aspects of a person’s personality and predict significant events in their lives based on the positions of celestial objects; the majority of professional astrologers rely on such systems.
Throughout most of its history, astrology was considered a scholarly tradition and was common in academic circles, often in close relation with astronomy, alchemy, meteorology, and medicine. It was present in political circles and is mentioned in various works of literature, from Dante Alighieri and Geoffrey Chaucer to William Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, and Calderón de la Barca. During the Enlightenment, however, astrology disappeared as an area of legitimate scientific pursuit. Following the end of the 19th century and the wide-scale adoption of the scientific method, researchers have successfully challenged astrology on both theoretical and experimental grounds and have shown it to have no scientific validity or explanatory power. Astrology thus 138
lost its academic and theoretical standing, and common belief in it has largely declined, until a resurgence starting in the 1960s.
Ancient
St. Augustine (354–430) believed that the determinism of astrology conflicted with the Christian doctrines of man’s free will and responsibility, and God not being the cause of evil, but he also grounded his opposition philosophically, citing the failure of astrology to explain twins who behave differently although conceived at the same moment and born at approximately the same time.
The scientific community rejects astrology as having no explanatory power for describing the universe and considers it a pseudoscience. Scientific testing of astrology has been conducted, and no evidence has been found to support any of the premises or purported effects outlined in astrological traditions. There is no proposed mechanism of action by which the positions and motions of stars and planets could affect people and events on Earth that does not contradict basic and well understood aspects of biology and physics.
From Dr. Christopher S. Baird
Does the position of astronomical bodies affect a person’s life (beyond basic weather)?
No. The position and orientation of the sun relative to earth does cause seasons. Anyone who has shoveled snow off his walk in January when he would rather be at the beach can tell you that the astronomical bodies definitely affect our lives. Solar flares cause electromagnetic disturbances on earth that can disrupt satellites and even cause blackouts. The position of the moon causes ocean tides. If you are a fisher, the position of the moon can have a significant effect on your livelihood. The solar wind causes beautiful aurora, and sunlight itself is the main source of energy for our planet. But all of these effects fall under the umbrella of basic weather, not astrology. Astrology purports that astronomical bodies have influence on people’s lives beyond basic weather patterns, depending on their birth date. This claim is scientifically false. Numerous scientific studies have disproven that astronomical bodies affect people’s lives according to their birth date
Wikipedia, July 16, 2022
A horoscope (or other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel or simply chart) is an astrological chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, astrological aspects and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person’s birth. The word horoscope is derived from the 139
Greek words ōra and scopos meaning “time” and “observer” (horoskopos, pl. horoskopoi, or “marker(s) of the hour”). It is used as a method of divination regarding events relating to the point in time it represents, and it forms the basis of the horoscopic traditions of astrology. Horoscope columns are often featured in print and online newspapers.
There are no scientific studies that have shown support for the accuracy of horoscopes, and the methods used to make interpretations are pseudo-scientific. In modern scientific framework no known interaction exists that could be responsible for the transmission of the alleged influence between a person and the position of stars in the sky at the moment of birth. In all tests completed, keeping strict methods to include a control group and proper blinding between experimenters and subjects, horoscopes have shown no effect beyond pure chance. Furthermore, some psychological tests have shown that it is possible to construct personality descriptions and foretelling generic enough to satisfy most members of a large audience simultaneously, referred to as the Forer or Barnum effect.